Following a production of Wagner's "Tannhauser" that caused protests by the city of Novisibirsk's inhabitants, a statement from the Orthodox Church, and a subsequent legal hearing, the former director of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, Boris Medrich, was fired this week and in his place now is Vladimir Kekhmann, also currently the director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. On April 1 Kekhmann will deliver a statement to the press but until then the word is that he will maintain directorship over both theatres simultaneously. That includes both ballet and opera portions of both theatres.

The Izvestia article below points out that Medrich met with the Minister of Culture, Medinsky, two weeks ago, when the latter suggested the compromise of cutting funding for this particular "questionable" production and also requesting an apology from Medrich. Medrich refused both.

On last night's news, Medinsky was quoted as saying that since the theatre is governmentally funded, they do not accept productions that cause public protests and upheavals.